Chapter Text
Atlas Quinn has always been strange. They know this.
There have always been clear signs— on top of their various triggers such as heat, bright lights, and enclosed, overcrowded spaces— like the feeling of wrong they often felt all the way down to their bones, or the infinite expanses of knowledge that would pop into their mind at any given moment.
For example, the random, pressing thought that at the age of 20, they should move all the way to London, to the Powell Estate. They hadn’t known where that was, but the nursing program they wanted to attend was close by there, so they decided to spend the thousands of pounds it cost and move from Scotland to London.
That’s how Atlas had met the Tylers. When they first moved into their flat, Jackie Tyler had brought over a basket of cookies and sat with them for hours talking about her daughter, Rose, Rose’s boyfriend, Mickey, and all that went on in the estate. She had even given them some places where they could look for entry level jobs while they settled in.
They looked over her suggestions and managed to get a job at a nearby bakery called John’s. The pay was very good for such a low-level job, £13.65 an hour, perfect for rebuilding their savings. The bakery was right across the street from the department store where Rose worked, Henriks, and not too far from their flat, just a short bus ride away.
A few weeks after that, Rose Tyler had come over to help them assemble furniture. It was fun. They talked about friends, their mutual hate of school, work, their love lives, and family. Rose’s dad had died when she was a baby, and her mum had raised her by herself. Atlas could relate. They had never known their parents. They’re earliest memory was of living in an orphanage. They were about ten years old then. The orphanage had kicked them out the day they turned 18, and they had been working at least three part time jobs since then to afford a small flat and groceries.
Once they had finished assembling furniture, Rose had invited them out for a drink at a local pub with her boyfriend and some of her friends. Atlas had agreed, glad to have the chance to meet people. The outing was fun and took their mind off the stresses of moving. They even managed to make a few new friends.
It was only about a month after that, when they had settled into life in London, that everything changed.
They’re working the closing shift, just sweeping the floor and cleaning up the display cases and whatnot. All they have left to do is to write the specials on the sign for tomorrow.
They go outside and start writing on the chalkboard, trying not to wince at the sound the chalk makes, when the hair on the back of their neck raises. It’s a familiar feeling, one they’ve had as long as they can remember, but the intensity of it is something they’ve never experienced.
Their head is pounding, thoughts clanging through their mind.
DANGER. DANGER. DANGER. WRONG. WRONG. WRONG. TURN AROUND. NOW. NOW. NOW.
Their fists clench, and the chalk they’re holding breaks in two and falls to the ground. They quickly turn around, eyes frantically scanning the street. At a glance, nothing seems amiss, but their mind is still screaming at them to find the danger.
Suddenly, Henriks explodes.
Fire blasts through the windows and ceiling, the building collapsing inward. The explosion must have come from one of the upper floors because the fire is spreading down, not up.
The “DANGER” thoughts stop, and new ones begin.
Rose is working tonight.
Rose is working tonight.
ROSE IS WORKING TONIGHT IN THE STORE THAT JUST BLEW UP.
Atlas goes cold.
Any hope of coherent thought had imploded with the store. All they can think is find Rose, find Rose, find Rose, find Rose, go go go go go go.
They lock the doors to the bakery and start dash across the street towards Henriks, weaving in and out of passing cars and fleeing pedestrians. Police have already started to rope off the area, and Atlas approaches an officer.
“Is the building empty? Was there anyone inside during the explosion?” they question.
The officer shakes their head, “No, so far we’ve found no signs of anyone having been inside the building.”
Atlas sighs with relief, “Okay, good. Thanks.”
They turn and start walking all the way back to the estate, as fast as possible. It takes them nearly 15 minutes, but they eventually arrive, taking the stairs two at a time and not stopping until they reach the Tylers’ door. They knock rapidly, and Jackie quickly answers.
“Oh!” she exclaims, phone to her ear. She calls back into the living room, “Rose! Atlas is here.”
They sigh in relief, “Oh, good. She’s safe.”
Jackie nods, waving her hand dismissively, “Yeah, she’s fine. Says she wasn’t even in the store.” She opens the door all the way before continuing to talk on the phone.
The Jackie Tyler way of inviting them inside, they suppose. They walk into the apartment and see Rose sitting on the couch, sipping a cup of tea while watching the news about the explosion on the TV. Their thoughts finally calm to a rational level, and they finally pause to catch their breath.
“I’m so glad you’re okay. I was closin’ up at the bakery and I saw Henriks explode… I talked to the police on my way back here, and they said there was no one inside the store, but I just had to come and check…”
Rose looks up at them, smiling slightly at their concern for her, “Yeah, good thing I wasn’t in the shop, eh?”
Atlas nods, running a hand through their short, brown hair, trying to calm their racing heart, “Yeah,” they shake their head, cutting off their worried ramble, “Any idea what happened?”
Rose shakes her head, “Not a clue.”
Atlas gets the distinct impression she’s lying, but they don’t press. They just nod and sit down next to her. Jackie then walks back into the room, still on the phone.
“Atlas, love, I keep tellin’ Rose that she ought to sue for compensation. She keeps sayin’ no, but imagine all the money she could get! What do you think?”
Atlas looks over at Rose, “Well, I mean, she could… she has a claim for it… but if she doesn’t want to…”
Jackie nods, clearly validated by their statement, and leaves the room again. Atlas tilts their head at Rose, who just shrugs. They fall silent for a few moments, trying to find something to say. They look at the TV, which is showing a news broadcast of first responders trying to put out the fire.
“Did everyone make it out okay?” they ask.
Rose shakes her head again, “Wilson, the, uh, chief electrician. He didn’t make it. It’s a shame… he was a nice bloke."
Atlas nods solemnly, “Are you okay?”
Rose nods, “Yeah, ‘m okay.”
“That’s good... I’m glad you’re a’right. If you need anythin’, just let me know.”
She smiles at them, “Thanks, Atlas.”
They shrug, “It’s the least I can do.”
Atlas checks their watch, though they don’t need to. They know what time it is.
20:55:14:02.
“I should probably go home. I’m all covered in flour and what have you. But, uh, y’know you can always phone or jus’ pop by if you need.”
Rose nods, “Yeah, thanks.”
Atlas nods once more before standing up to leave.
“See ya, then.”
“See ya.”
Atlas leaves the Tylers’ flat and walks back to their own, thinking all the while. It’s a relief Rose wasn’t in the store, but they can’t stop thinking about that feeling they got when she said she doesn't know what happened. Atlas felt flat-out that she was lying. Beyond the strangeness of being a walking lie-detector, how does she know what caused the explosion?
As they arrive at their flat, Atlas unlocks their door and goes inside, taking off their shoes and apron before laying down on their bed. They sigh deeply. Going to sleep is always hard for them, but tonight feels even worse. Something is scratching in the back of their mind, as if getting restless. They sigh again before standing back up to go take a shower and get changed.
They grab a random t-shirt and a pair of sweatpants from the closet and go into the bathroom. They come back out a few minutes later, hair wet, carrying their work clothes under their arm. They toss the clothes into the washer and head back to the bedroom.
They lay down under the covers, closing their eyes and trying to relax. Their mind is still on edge, replaying the explosion over and over again, analyzing every minute detail. The thing at the back of their mind is still there, clawing to get out. Atlas rolls over to look up at the ceiling, opting to examine the constellations of glowing plastic stars they had put up when they first moved in. They finally manage to fall into a light sleep after a few hours of staring up at the ceiling.
They wake up the next morning to a pair of loud footsteps coming from outside their flat.
8:06:10:12.
Atlas groans, pulling themself out of bed to go see what’s going on. They look through the peephole of their front door and see a man in a leather jacket standing outside holding what looks like a metal tube. The man presses a button on the tube-thing and looks at it, turning to walk away.
They’ve never seen him before, but they haven’t met about half their neighbors. They decide to just ignore the man and go get ready for work, figuring that if he doesn’t live here then he could be a salesperson or something like that. They are, however, still annoyed that he woke them up.
Atlas returns to their bedroom and changes into their work clothes, grabbing their wallet, keys, and phone before heading out the door.
They arrive at the bakery at 8:33:06:22 and walk inside, noticing a stack of deliveries on the counter. Their manager, Marley, is cleaning crumbs out of the display cases.
“Mornin’ Marley,” they say, “Do ya need me to start takin’ these deliveries?”
Marley looks up at them, “Oh, yeah, that would be perfect. I’m just cleaning the cases while Charlie and Emily heat up the ovens.
Atlas rubs the back of their neck, “Sorry, I should’ve done that at closing last night.”
Marley shakes her head, “It’s no problem. I’m just glad you remembered to lock the doors, with all the chaos from the explosion last night. Sorry there was no one to help you close, by the way. Kris called out sick about an hour before shift and I couldn’t get anyone to fill in on such short notice.”
“‘S all good. There weren’t too many people comin’ in by the time I came.”
Marley looks up at the clock on the wall, “You should get going. I can handle things here. Lunch is at 13:00; we’re ordering sandwiches from Nell’s, so if you’re planning on coming back here, just call Emily and tell her what you want.”
Atlas nods and picks up the delivery boxes, “Alright, see you later, then.”
They head outside to the bakery’s truck, climbing in and setting the boxes down on the passenger seat. They start the truck and check the address on the first order, pulling out of the parking lot and onto the street. They drive for a bit, mostly sitting in morning traffic, before arriving at the first address.
Atlas parks the truck on the street and gets out. They take two boxes off the passenger seat and walk up to the house. Atlas rings the doorbell, and a woman quickly opens the door.
Atlas smiles at her, “Delivery for Jane Cott. One box of assorted cookies and a crumb cake.”
The woman smiles at them, “That’s me, thanks.”
She takes the boxes, and Atlas hands her a receipt.
“Have a good day,” they call to her as she closes the door.
“You, too.”
Atlas walks back to the truck, starting the ignition and driving off. They continue making deliveries for the next few hours, occasionally driving back to the bakery to pick up more orders to deliver.
On one such trip back to the store, Atlas is stopped by James to take their lunch order. They just end up getting a salad and some soda, not having much of an appetite.
They go back out to make some more deliveries, and at 12:44:11:02 they decide to make one last stop before going back to the bakery for lunch.
They arrive at the address and get out of the truck when they notice Mickey’s yellow Beetle pull up on the other side of the street. They watch as Rose gets out of the car and walks up to a door, knocking before being led inside. Maybe they’ll say hello after they make their delivery.
They walk up to the delivery address and ring the bell. A young girl opens the door. Atlas smiles at her.
“Delivery for Tommy Park. One chocolate cake.”
The girl beams at them and runs inside, presumably to go get an adult. She comes back a few moments later with an older guy, around their age. The guy smiles at them, and Atlas hands him the box.
“Thanks, mate.”
“No problem, have a good day.”
The door closes and Atlas walks away from the house. They’re halfway back to the truck when the hair on the back of their neck starts to stand up, their head pounding just like it did last night.
Look across the street.
They quickly do so, just in time to see Mickey get pulled into a trash bin. Their eyes widen, and they dash across the street to the bin, standing in front of it cautiously. It begins to shake, moving closer to them. They back up nervously before steeling themself and carefully opening the bin. There’s nothing in it.
How is that possible? Where did Mickey go? How is any of this possible?
They close the bin and turn away, but the bin opens back up and swallows them whole. They shout as their head smacks against the side of the bin, and Atlas knows no more.
Atlas awakens with a gasp, frantically looking around at their surroundings. They’re in a hot, industrial looking area, most likely underground somewhere. They struggle to their feet, head pounding where they had hit it. They had been unconscious for over six hours. The current time is 18:22:09:34.
They peer over the railing to their left and see Mickey crouching down behind a few barrels, staring fearfully down at what looked like a huge vat in the center of the area, all the way at the bottom of multiple flights of stairs. They make their way down to him, careful not to make too much noise. Mickey spots them as they walk over to him and puts a finger to his lip, frantically waving them over. They crouch down next to him.
“Where are we?” they ask quietly.
“I dunno, some kind of underground area. But that’s not important. That liquid down there, in the vat, it can talk. I heard it earlier,” Mickey whispers frantically.
Atlas looks down at the liquid, which is moving around and appears to even have a face. As strange as it is, they can’t help but think that it’s really quite cool. They mentally scold themself, now is really not the time.
Atlas turns back to Mickey, “Is there any way out of ‘ere?”
Mickey shakes his head, “I tried, but there are these… mannequin things that brought me right back.”
“So, we’re stuck, then.” Mickey just nods. Atlas slumps down against the wall, putting their head in their hands, “God, my head is killin’ me. I think I hit it earlier. I dunno. Everythin’s fuzzy.”
Mickey sits down next to them, “You probably have a concussion.”
Atlas nods, the action making their head spin. They squeeze their eyes shut and try to block out the blistering heat and blindingly bright red light all around them. The sensory input feels overloading, and Atlas has to remind themself that they’re not in the orphanage anymore. They’re safe and living on their own and they’ll never have to go back there, where it’s hot and overcrowded and too bright and noisy… and none of that matters anymore because they’re not even in the same country as that place.
Both Atlas and Mickey are silent for a while, before Atlas speaks up again, trying to take their mind off their discomfort.
“I saw you and Rose earlier, while I was runnin’ deliveries for the bakery. Rose went into that house, and then the trash bin got you, and then…” they trail off. Their memories got fuzzy after that.
“Yeah, she wanted to go to this bloke, Clive’s house. They’d been emailing about somethin’ she was interested in, I dunno what exactly. She got out of the car and went inside, then the bin started moving. I went to check it out, and I woke up here,” Mickey explains.
Atlas nods understandingly, and both fall silent again. After another ten minutes, Atlas hears footsteps and two distinct voices. The voices get closer, and they can make out a conversation.
“The Nestene Consciousness. That's it, inside the vat. A living plastic creature.”
“Well, then. Tip in your anti-plastic and let's go.”
“I'm not here to kill it. I've got to give it a chance.”
Atlas sees two figures step out onto a catwalk up above them and Mickey. It’s Rose and the man from outside their flat.
The man looks down at the thing in the vat before speaking again, “I seek audience with the Nestene Consciousness under peaceful contract according to Convention 15 of the Shadow Proclamation.”
The Nestene Consciousness writhes in response, which is good, apparently.
“Thank you. If I might have permission to approach?”
Rose suddenly looks down and notices Mickey and Atlas. She rushes down the stairs and over to Mickey.
“Oh, God! Mickey, Atlas, it's me! It's okay. It's all right. How did you two even get down here?”
“It’s a long story,” Atlas says simply.
They don’t currently have the energy to tell it.
“That thing down there, the liquid. Rose, it can talk!” Mickey exclaims, pointing down at the Nestene.
“You're stinking,” she comments. She turns back to the man, “Doctor, they kept him alive.”
The man called the Doctor nods as he walks down to a lower balcony, a bit below where the three of them are, “Yeah, that was always a possibility. Keep him alive to maintain the copy.”
“You knew that and you never said?” Rose asks, annoyance apparent in her voice.
“Can we keep the domestics outside, thank you?” the Doctor sasses as he continues down a set of stairs. He reaches a balcony overlooking the Nestene Consciousness and starts to address it again, “Am I addressing the Consciousness? Thank you. If I might observe, you infiltrated this civilization by means of warp shunt technology. So, may I suggest, with the greatest respect, that you shunt off?”
The Consciousness writhes and squeals at him in response.
The Doctor rolls his eyes, “Oh, don't give me that. It's an invasion, plain and simple. Don't talk about constitutional rights,” the Nestene starts to interrupt, but the Doctor continues, “I am talking! This planet is just starting. These stupid little people have only just learnt how to walk, but they're capable of so much more. I'm asking you on their behalf. Please, just go.”
Atlas and Rose notice the danger before the Doctor does, and Rose calls out to him, “Doctor!”
“Look out!” Atlas shouts.
Two mannequins grab the Doctor on either side. The Doctor struggles, but to no avail. One of the mannequins takes a vial out of the Doctor’s jacket. Anti-plastic.
The Nestene roars at the Doctor, who frantically tries to explain himself, “That was just insurance. I wasn't gonna use it. I was not attacking you. I'm here to help. I'm not your enemy. I swear, I'm not.”
The Consciousness says something, and the Doctor pauses, “What do you mean?”
Atlas looks up to see a door slide open and reveal a blue wooden police box, like one that would be on street corners in the 1950s. There’s nothing particularly interesting about it, but Atlas's eyes are drawn to it, as if it was calling to them. The thing clawing at the back of their mind gets stronger, and Atlas winces, putting their head back in their hands.
The Doctor continues talking, “No. Oh, no. Honestly, no.”
The Consciousness asks him a question, “Yes, that's my ship.”
The Nestene roars angrily at him, “That's not true. I should know, I was there. I fought in the war. It wasn't my fault. I couldn't save your world! I couldn't save any of them!” the Doctor yells frantically.
Atlas can practically hear the sad, distressed look on his face.
The hair on the back of their neck stands up again, and they struggle to their feet.
Danger. Danger. Danger. Danger. Danger.
“What's it doing?!” Rose screams.
The Nestene Consciousness continues roaring, and the Doctor is still struggling against the mannequins, who are now trying to push him towards the edge of the platform.
“It's the TARDIS! The Nestene's identified it as superior technology. It's terrified. It's going to the final phase. It's starting the invasion! Get out, Rose! Just leg it now!” the Doctor calls out to her, panic etched into every part of his face.
Atlas grabs Rose and Mickey’s hands and starts pulling them up the stairs. Rose takes her phone out from her pocket and makes a call.
“Mum?” she says into the phone, “Where are you, mum?” A pause. “No, go home! Just go home right now! Mum! Mum!”
Rose closes the phone and puts it back. Jackie had hung up.
Suddenly, the room starts shaking violently, and bolts of energy start flowing off the Consciousness and up to the ground above it.
“It’s the activation signal! It’s transmitting!” the Doctor shouts, still struggling against the mannequins.
“It’s the end of the world,” Rose says softly.
Atlas puts a hand on her shoulder, trying desperately to pull her along, “C’mon, we have to go!”
Rose doesn’t move for a moment. Down in the vat, the Nestene Consciousness is getting more and more agitated.
“Get out, Rose! Just get out! Run!” the Doctor yells frantically.
The mannequins are trying harder to push him down into the vat.
“The stairs have gone!” Rose yells.
Atlas looks back at the TARDIS, “Up there! Let’s go!”
Rose, Mickey, and Atlas reach the TARDIS, but it’s locked.
Atlas looks over at Rose, who shakes her head, “I haven’t got the key!”
“We’re going to die!” Mickey wails as he clings to Rose.
Rose and Atlas are both looking around for other possibilities of escape while the Doctor is being pushed closer to the edge.
“No!” he shouts.
“Time Lord…” the Nestene hisses at him.
Mickey was right. It can talk. But what’s a Time Lord?
Rose looks down at the Doctor, then runs to another part of the chamber. Atlas runs over to help her, hoping that she has a plan.
Mickey stays by the TARDIS, “Just leave him! There’s nothing you can do!”
Atlas notices what she’s spotted, picking up an axe leaning against the wall and hands it to Rose.
She jumps up and chops at a rope holding a long chain, “I’ve got no A-Levels, no job, no future,” the chain comes loose, and she grabs it, handing the axe back to Atlas, “But I’ll tell you what I have got. Jericho Street Junior School under 7s gymnastics team.” She grins at Atlas, who beams back, “I’ve got the bronze!”
Rose jumps off the platform, swinging from the chain towards the Doctor. Atlas cheers as they run back over to the TARDIS. Her feet collide with the mannequins holding the Doctor, and they fall into the vat, bringing the anti-plastic down with them.
The Nestene screams as it starts to turn blue, anti-plastic seeping into it.
The Doctor calls out as Rose swings back, “Rose!” He catches her and helps her down as explosions start all around the cavern. “Now we’re in trouble,” he says as he grins at her.
The bolts of energy stop, and the Doctor and Rose join Atlas and Mickey at the TARDIS. The Doctor unlocks it, and all four go inside.
Inside the TARDIS is magnificent. The room inside is much bigger than the outside, and there’s a large console in the center, surrounded by coral-like arches and little round circles in the walls. A hallway on the other side of the room disappears around a corner, implying the existence of even more rooms in such a small area.
Atlas looks around in awe, and they lock eyes with the Doctor, who is standing at the console, “It’s bigger on the inside!”
The Doctor grins with pride as he operates the console, “It’s a Type 40 TARDIS, the best you’ll ever find,” he comments as he flicks a lever. The TARDIS starts to shake, a loud noise coming from an overhead rotor.
Atlas grins, grabbing onto a nearby railing.
Mickey is having the exact opposite reaction, clinging to Rose and looking around the TARDIS in horror. The shaking and noise stop, and the Doctor opens the door to the outside.
Mickey dashes past him, looking back at the TARDIS with terror. Atlas and Rose walk out after him, Rose walking over to join her boyfriend and Atlas staying closer to the TARDIS, looking around at its exterior.
Rose’s mobile starts to ring, and she picks up. She listens for a bit before smiling and hanging up.
“Was that your mum?” Atlas asks, “Is she safe?”
Rose nods as the Doctor steps into the doorway of the TARDIS, “Yeah, she’s fine.”
She smiles slightly at the Doctor, “A fat lot of good you were.”
The Doctor grins, leaning against the doorframe and crossing his arms, “Nestene Consciousness?” he clicks his fingers, “Easy.”
Rose rolls her eyes playfully, “You were useless in there. You’d be dead if it wasn’t for us.”
“Yes, I would. Thank you.”
Atlas steps back from the TARDIS to join Rose, “We’d all be dead if you hadn’t thought of that. Swinging from a chain? That was brilliant, Rose.”
She smacks them gently on the shoulder, “Oh, shut up. It wasn’t that great, just all I could think of.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t think anyone else would’ve done something like that for someone they barely know.”
The Doctor clears his throat, “Right then, I’ll be off, unless, er, I don’t know, you could come with me. This box isn’t just a London hopper, y’know. It goes anywhere in the universe free of charge.”
Atlas's eyes widen with fascination. After everything that’s happened in the last few hours, their curiosity has only grown more. Their mind races with questions about the creature the four had just escaped, the TARDIS, and the Doctor himself.
Mickey speaks up, clinging to Rose’s legs, “Don’t. He’s an alien. He’s a thing.”
“He’s not invited,” the Doctor says, "What do you think? You could stay here, fill your lives with work and food and sleep, or you could go… anywhere.”
“Is it always this dangerous?” Rose asks.
The Doctor nods, smiling, “Yeah.”
Mickey clings to Rose tighter, and she hesitates, “Yeah, I can’t, I’ve er, I’ve got to go and find my mum and someone’s got to look after this stupid lump,” she gestures to Mickey, “so…”
The Doctor nods, disappointed, “Okay,” he turns to Atlas, “What about you? Fancy traveling around the universe?”
Atlas nods quickly, “Yeah, ‘course I do.”
The Doctor grins again, “That’s the spirit. Hop on, then.”
Atlas walks up to the TARDIS, turning back to Rose and Mickey before going inside, “See you around, I guess.”
Rose nods, and Atlas and the Doctor go into the TARDIS.
The Doctor closes the door and walks over to the console, starting to operate the controls, “So, where to first?”
Atlas walks over to join him, “We could go anywhere, you said?”
The Doctor nods, “Yep, anywhere in the universe.”
Atlas looks around the TARDIS again, and it begins to shake. The noise from earlier starts again, but only for a moment before it stops. The Doctor walks back towards the doors.
“Just a tick, I forgot something.”
The Doctor opens the door, and Atlas looks over his shoulder. They’re still on Earth, right where they left Rose and Mickey.
“By the way,” the Doctor starts, “Did I mention it also travels in time?”
Atlas's eyes widen again. The TARDIS not only can travel anywhere in the entire universe, but it can travel through time?! How could the Doctor have neglected to mention that?!
Rose turns to Mickey, “Thanks,” she says as she kisses him on the cheek.
“For what?” he asks, confused.
“Exactly,” Rose replies as she turns away from him and runs towards the TARDIS.
Atlas and the Doctor both grin as she runs through the doors, and the Doctor takes his place back at the console.
“Well, you two,” the Doctor grins at his new companions, “welcome aboard the TARDIS.”